Ornamental wheel disk



Re. l21,179

` G. A, LYON Aug. 22, 1939.

ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK Original FiledA Dec. l2, 1934 Reissues Ag.- 22, 1939 4 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE ORNAMENTAL WHEEL DISK George Albert Lyon, Allenhurst, N. J.

Original No. 2,016,251, dated October 1, 1935, Serial No. 757,113, December 12, 1934. Application for reissue November 5, 1936, Serial No'.

4 Claims. (Cl. 301-3'0 streamlined appointments of "the other parts of the vehicle. This treatment of the wheels, however, must' be accomplished with a minimum of expense, so as not to increase the cost of the yehicle.

I therefore propose to provide a combination Wheel and disk structure in which the disk is easily applicable to and removable from the wheel, and which, whenit is on thel wheeL-is so positioned and held as to eliminate substantially any ten- 2()v dency for it to rattle or vibrate with respect to the wheel.

It is a .further object of this invention .to lprovde an ornamental circular member for use in conjunction witha wheel of the type having a.

second .ornamental member held in place by retaining springs carried'by the wheel, and the first member being so arranged with reference to the wheel'and second member that it may be held in place by the snapping of the second member into retaining'engagement with the springelements.

Another object of the invention is to provide an ornamental disk for use in conjunction with a Wheel of the type having a hub cap held in place by retaining springs carried by the wheel, andk so arranged with reference to the wheel and hub cap that it may be held in place by the snapping of the hub cap into retaining engagement with the spring elements..

40 A still further object of the invention relates to the provision of a wheel structure in which spring retaining elements on the hub part of the wheel are utilized for the double purpose of holding' a hub cap in place, and also, by reason of their engagement with the hub cap, of holding an ornamental wheeldisk in place over an outer side lsurface of the wheel.

In accordance with the general features of this invention, there is provided an ornamental disk 'for use with a wheel of the type embodying rim and hub parts, the hub part of which has centrally disposed spring elements for retaining cooperation with a hub cap, the wheel disk having a central portion notched out to accommodate 55 the spring elements, so that said elements can hold the hub cap in Aposition on the wheel and against ,the central portion of the wheel disk,

The wheel disk may also be provided at its youter portion with resilient means for contacting a vsurface of the tire rim adjacent the base of the rim, 5 whereby the jointv between the central or hub part of the wheel and the base of the tire rim flange is concealed. while at the same time there is provided a cushioned engagement between the .louter portion of the disk and thev Wheel.

Other objectsv and features o this invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description, taken'in connection with the accom- .panying drawing, which illustrates a single embodiment thereof, andin which: A Figure I is afragmentary sectional view taken through an ornamental disk and `wheel structure embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the disk, showing that it ls notched out at ilve points to accommodate 30 the spring elements secured to the hub part 'of the wheel. f

The reference character ID designates generally a drop center tire rim of a wheel, whichA rim includes a base flange II opposite intermediate g5 flanges I2, and opposite edges I3. This rim is secured -to la hub or central part I5 of the wheel, which part has at its outer periphery a laterally extending flange I6 secured by means of rivets I1 or the like to the base flange II of the rim 30 The hub part I5 has a turned edge or shoulder I8 adjacent the center of the wheel, as well as a circular bolting flange I9, which is adapted to be secured by five cap screws or bolts 20 to a 35 vehicle axle part 2| which may be attached to a vehicl'e brake drum 22 in the usual manner.

Secured to the wheel ange I9 are live hub cap retaining spring elements 23, each of which lncludes a vertical leg 24 secured to an offset por- 40- tion 25 of the flange I5 by means of a rivet 26 or the like. These onset portions 25 alternate with the holes in the flange I9 for accommodating the cap screws or bolts 20. This arrangement is such that the heads of the ca-p screws or bolts" 45 20 are disposed in the spaces separating the offset portions 25 which carry the live spring retaining elements 23. v v

Each of the spring elements 23 includes a laterally or outwardly extendingleg which ter- 50 ,mir ttes in a hook-like end 21, which is resilient and is adapted to have a. hub cap snapped Vinto engagement therewith for retaining the hub cap, which is designated generally by the referthe base flange The smaller tubularportion ence character 23, in cooperation with the shoulder I8 of the hub part of the wheel.

lThe hub cap comprises a hollow shell, including an inwardly turned skirt 29, shaped to engage and bearagainst the-shoulder |8 of the wheel'hub part. This skirt 29 terminates in a turned edge 3D, over which the hook-like ends 21 of the five spring elements are adapted to slide -as `the-hub cap is forced axially into retaining engagement withthe spring elements.

In accord with the features of this invention, I'

ence character 3|, and may be made of any suitable sheet material, such for .example as thin metallic sheets. It may be eitherl spun or formed in the punch press, as desired. The material used should, of course, be of such character as to lend itself to a high nish', which nish may correspond in color to other colors used in the vehicle, or it may be a` plated finish, as desired. The central' portion of vthe disk is turned inwardly to conform with the contour of the shoulder .|8, s'o that sucnportion may tightly embrace this shoulder. This turned portion 32 terminates in an edge 33 which is adapted to `be positioned inside of the centralopening in the hub part. Also, this edge is notched' out at tive points designated by the numeral 34 in Figure 2. These notches 34 are4 of such sire that the outwardly extending'legs of the live spring elements 23 extend therethrough, as best shown in Figure 1.

It is, of course, obvious from this description,

that when the hub cap 28 is snapped axially into engagement with the spring elementsv `23, its inner lskirt 29 will bear against the turned portion 32 of the disk 3 and hold it clamped against the shoulder I8 of the hub partv I5 of Y the wheel. Also,

whenever it is desired to-have accessto the bolts 20, the hub cap 28 may be readily pried loose from the spring elements 23, thereby exposing the heads of the cap screws 20.

The outer portion of the disk 3| is provided with a turned edge 4D whichis interlocked with an ornamental annular bead 4| of curved convex cross section. This bead 4| may comprise a split ring so that it may be contracted and expanded.` It is also provided wlthan outwardly turned edge 42 adapted to be interlocked with the inwardly turnededge 40 of the outer periphery of the disk 3|. This interlocking of the bead with the disk may be effected by contracting the split bead ring to bring its turned edge behind the turned edge 4U of the disk 3|, whereby the ring, upon its subsequent expansion, Will be interlocked with the disk. vThis annular ornamental bead 4l may be given any suitable finish, although I have attained excellent results by providing this bead with a chromium plated outer surface. Disposed behind the bead 4| is a split cushioning rubber ring 44, which has a figure eight construction. That is to say, this rubber m'ng 44 has a cross sectional shape resembling a numeral eight. 'The larger tubular portion of this rubber kzing is adapted to bear against a surface of the tire rim adjacent of this rubber ring is adapted to be compressed into engagement with theinterior surface of the turned edge of the metallic bead 4I. In order to aidin the holding of thisrubber ring in position, the smaller tubular portion thereof may be provided with an endless wire 4 8 disposed in the interior of such tubular portion. 'I'his wire 46 may have a diameter slightly less than vthe` diameter of the turned edge of the disk 3|, so that after the smaller end of the rubber bead is forced into engagement with the turned edge of the chromium plated bead 4|, this wire will effectively aid in the retaining of the ruberbead in place.

r I have previously referred to the fact that both A.

fthat the valve stem which is illustrated in dotted lines at 5| in Figure 2 may extend therethrough. By valve stem,.I mean the conventional valve stem used with the inner tube of the tire which may be disposed on the tire rim IU. a y The rubber bead 44 provides for a cushioned engagement between the outer portion of the disk and the inne'r surface of the flanged tire rim. l The metallic bead 4| also serves to increase the diameter ofthe disk to such an extent that the joint between the base .liange and the flange I6 of the wheel, which joint is indicated by the reference character 52 in' Figure l, is con- Ycealed by the disk. This feature is desirable, inasmuch as this joint is usually a pla-ce where vdirt and other foreign matter accumulate, much to the detriment ofthe normal appearance of the wheel when such a wheel Idoes not havea disk embodying the features of my invention described hereinabove; f

From theforegoing, it will be evident" that I have provided for theclamping of an ornamental disk in position over an outersurface or side of a wheel, without' necessitating the use, ofany additional fasteningor -securing means, other than that whichis alreadyfpresent to holda hub cap in position at -the center of the wheel. Thus, the hub'cap'reta'ining spring elements 23 are enabled to carry out another'function, namely, that of holding the disk in tight cooperation with the central portion of the wheel, in addition to their normal and intended function of holding the hub cap inposition.

This clamping engagement is eiected by reason of the central portion of the disk extending between the shoulder |13 of the wheel and the skirt 29 of the hub cap, so that when the hub cap is snapped into engagement with the spring elements 23, it also serves to clamp the turned portion 32 of the disk tightly against the central shoulder or ridge I8 of the hub part |5 ofthe wheel.

It is, of course,.to be understood that while 'I have illustrated and described in detail the preferred form of this invention, the invention is not to be thus limited, but only insofar as'deflned by the scope of the appended claims. I claim as my invention: l. The combinaticnwith a wheel including unitary circular disk of relatively thin sheet ma# terial for dispositon inside the rimv part over the-` outer side of thewheel, and heid in cooperation with the rim part solely by a 'snap-on engagement with the hub part, said hub part of the wheel having a plurality of central hub cap -re 21,179 taining spring elements, as well as a hub cap in cooperation therewith, and said disk having a central portion disposed between the hub cap and the hub part s`o as to be clamped into position by the snapping of the hub cap into retained engagement with the spring elements, said disk also having its central portion provided with a plurality ofnotches through which the spring elements extend, whereby the spring elements are free to be flexed into retaining engagement with the hub cap without any interference from the central portion of the disk. g

2. The combination with a wheel including integral rim and hub parts, said hub part having a plurality of spring retaining elements, a hubl cap seat, and ahub cap held in said hub part by said elements, of an ornamental member of relatively thin sheet material, and of such a size as to be disposed inside the rim part and to cover substantially the entire outer surface of the wheel hub part, the outer portion of the member being provided with means for engaging the rim part of the wheel, and the -central portion of the member comprising an inwardly turned annular `flange shaped to conform with the outer contour of a flange on said hub cap, as well as to conform with the 'contour of said hub cap .seat on the hub part of the wheel, whereby the member is clampingly secured to the hub part by said hub cap snapped into retaining engagement with said spring elements carried by the wheel hub part, said flange of said member terminating in an inner edge provided with a plurality of notches, through which said hub cap retaining spring elements extend whereby the spring elements are free to be exed into retainingengagement with the hub cap without any interference from the central portion of said member.

3. The combination with a wheel including rim and hub parts, of an ornamental unitary material for disposition over the outer side ofthe wheel, and held in cooperation with the wheel ,f solely by a. snap-on engagement with the hub part, said hub part of the wheel having a plurality of central ornamental member retaining spring elements, as well as a second ornamental member in cooperation therewith, and said r member having a central portion' disposed be-' tween the second-'ornamental member and the hub part/so as to be clamped into position by the snapping ofthe second ornamental member. into retained engagement with the-spring elev ments, said ring member also having its central portion provided with a plurality of notches through which the spring elements extend, whereby the spring elements are free to b e iiexed into retaining engagement with the second ornamental member Without any interference from the central portion of the ring member.

4. The combination with a wheel including rim and hub parts, of an ornamental unitary circular memberbf relatively thin sheet material for disposition over thel outer side of the Wheel, said hub part having a centrally projecting annular which the spring elements extend.

GEORGE ALBERT LYON.

circular ring' member of relatively thin sheet 

